


Things You Said Through Time

by angellwings



Category: Timeless (TV 2016)
Genre: F/M, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Hurt/Comfort, Spoilers, Tumblr Ask Box Fic, Tumblr Prompt, spoilers for s02e01 The War to End All Wars, spoilers for s02e02 Darlington 500
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-18
Updated: 2018-03-20
Packaged: 2019-03-06 11:32:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 22
Words: 17,775
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13410372
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angellwings/pseuds/angellwings
Summary: collection of responses from the "Things You Said" ask prompt game on my tumblr.





	1. things you said while you were crying

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been doing an ask prompt game on my tumblr called "Things You Said'. This story is going to be the collection of those ask prompt responses. If you'd like to make a request, head on over to my tumblr! I'm "manweliveweirdlives" over there!  
> Happy reading!

He's seen Lucy cry before. She's never been very good at hiding her emotions, at least not from him, so he's seen it before. The night her mother revealed her affiliation to Rittenhouse, the night Agent Christopher told her getting Amy back was on hold indefinitely, the night he stole that damn time machine. That particular memory is burned into his brain and still hurts him from time to time. He was such an idiot back then.

Probably still an idiot now too.

For the life of him, he could not figure out why she was crying. She was sitting in her car with the engine running. She had her head in her hands and her shoulders were shaking. He thought back to the rest of the day to try and pin point what could be upsetting her and nothing was coming to mind. He knocked lightly on the window, trying not to startle her, but she still jumped before turning to look at him.

She rolled down the window with a groan. "Of course you're leaving the same time I am and of course you happened by my car at this particular moment," Lucy said with a sigh and a shake of her head as she pulled down her mirror and tried to wipe off her running mascara.

"Are you okay?" He asked in concern.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm-" she huffed and then gave him a watery smile. "It's stupid. Don't worry about it."

He noticed Flynn's journal, well technically Lucy's journal, on her passenger seat and pointed to it. "Is it something to do with that?" Now that he thought about it, he had seen her reading it earlier.

She didn't answer his question and instead asked one of her own. "What was it you told me Flynn said about the journal in DC? That the Lucy who wrote sounded a little...crazy?"

He hesitantly nodded. "Yeah, but didn't you tell me that we're so off course now that whatever's in that journal won't happen?" Was she crying because she thought she was going turn into that Lucy? "I don't think you have to worry about it, Professor."

"No, that's not it. I...was reading it and he's right. That version of me was very vague and she trails off sometimes with these strange dark thoughts that she never finishes. I was trying to read between the lines and figure out what happened to make her that way and-" she stopped and met Wyatt's eyes as he was leaned over her driver's side window. Her tears were still falling, however silently. "I think I figured it out."

His brows lifted and he gave her a curious glance. What would it be that would cause this reaction?

"You," she said with a labored exhale. "Wyatt, I think it was you."

He felt a pain in his chest. Is she saying that he made alternate Lucy slightly deranged? _Ouch._ "Me?"

"At some point in the events of the missions, she stops talking about the other members of the team. Occasionally she mentions Rufus but after a certain date it's like you're just... _gone_ ," Lucy told him. "I went forward a little and read some other passages and some of those dark thoughts sound an awful lot like a death wish. She vaguely talks about a ' _him'_ or a ' _he'_ but never mentions a name. When she does mention him it's always past tense and sad. I don't know what it is, Wyatt, and I can't explain it, but I have this overwhelming feeling that something awful happened to you and it changed that Lucy completely."

There were more tears now. Freely falling one right after the other.

"And, you know, I get it. I mean if that's what happened then I understand because losing you would do the exact same thing to me," she admitted with an emotional gulp. "I think I would probably just crumple completely."

He realized that the pain in his chest was his heart. It was aching. Lucy was in pain because of something that may or may not have happened to an alternate version of him? God, this woman was baffling. In the best way possible. He took a guess that the car door was unlocked and pulled the handle, the door opened and he knelt next to her. He undid her seatbelt and then pulled her into his arms. Her arms clutched him tightly and he carefully maneuvered her out of the car until they were sitting next to it. He had her in his lap with his back pressed to the rear driver's side door.

He closed his eyes and pressed his lips to her temple. He had one hand caressing the small of her back and the other running through her hair. They'd hugged in the past but this was new. He couldn't help it, honestly. The need to hold her and comfort her and prove to her that he wasn't going anywhere was too strong. "I'm right here, Professor," he whispered as he held her. "I'm not going anywhere."

"You can't know that," she said as her head rested against his shoulder.

"Yes, I can because I don't trust anyone else to look out for you or Rufus so you better believe I'm going to stay alive. I can't keep the two of you safe if I'm dead," Wyatt said with a small smirk. "I'll probably get shot a lot, stabbed sometimes, beat up pretty much every day, but dying is not an option. I told you a while back, Luce. I'm meant to do this, to protect you. Me. Not anyone else. So, stop worrying over some alternate reality that doesn't have anything to do with us. You haven't lost me and I sure as hell am not losing you. Okay?"

She nodded weakly and sniffled before she replied. "Okay."

"Come on," he said as he rubbed her back again. "I'll give you a ride home. Your car can stay here for the night."

"I'm not so upset that I can't drive myself, Wyatt," she said with a roll of her eyes.

"You know, when you're crying you can't roll your eyes at me. Let's go back to that," He told her with half of a smile.

She chuckled and smacked his chest playfully. "I can get myself home, soldier. But thank you for the offer."

"Anything for you, ma'am," he told her with a wink.


	2. things you said when you were scared

Rufus had woken up early to go check on the Lifeboat and had unintentionally woken Lucy up. Today was June 4th, 1968 and at exactly 12:16 AM on June 5th Robert Kennedy would be assassinated. Lucy was unsure how Emma wanted to change these events or why, but the date and location were no coincidence. Once Rufus had woken her up, she was unable to go back to sleep so she'd pulled out her journal and started writing out possible reasons Emma could be here. She wished, for once, they could get ahead of her.

Wyatt stirred in the bed next to hers and she turned to look at him briefly. He had turned toward her with his head on his pillow. He was clutching the pillow tightly and he had a look of pain on his face. She bit her bottom lip and debated waking him up, but then they'd all been so tired yesterday that she hated to wake him up if she didn't have to. Things had been non-stop since Emma took the Mothership.

She went back to her journal. Could Emma be wanting to stop the assassination? Why would she do that, though? Robert Kennedy's platform for his presidential campaign would not have served Rittenhouse well. He was a more viable candidate than Hubert Humphrey, who went on to get the nomination from the democratic party. Had Kennedy lived he would have gotten the nomination instead of Humphrey. Nixon would likely have been defeated. Nixon was a pawn of Rittenhouse. Surely, Emma wasn't out to undo that?

Wyatt suddenly let out a muffled cry and when she turned to look at him his arm lashed out wildly. It knocked nearly everything off the bedside table, including the glass ashtray which broke into pieces with a loud clatter. Wyatt sat up pin straight, awake and alert, gun from under the mattress trained on the motel room door.

The suddenness of his motions and the way the situation escalated left Lucy panting with wide eyes in the bed next to his. She was more worried than scared. She'd seen Wyatt reliving memories before and she knew how that affected him. She slowly closed her journal and set it aside.

"Wyatt," she said softly. "It's okay. It was just the ashtray," she told him as she motioned to the floor between their beds where the glass was scattered.

He was breathing heavily and his expression, now that he was sitting up, was beyond the reach of nightlight on the bedside table. His gun was still drawn, but as Lucy slowly slid off the bed his gun lowered little by little. She slid toward the foot of the bed to avoid the broken glass and then went around the other side of his bed to sit next to him. Moving timidly, as if she might spook him. She settled in next to him with her back on the headboard and then reached over to grab his free hand. She laced her fingers through his and then placed her other hand on his arm, rubbing soothingly.

The gun slowly went back under the mattress but his breathing remained heavy and frantic. She could see panic and fear on his face now that she was close enough and she wondered what he'd been seeing in his sleep. Then again, maybe she didn't want to know. He'd seen much more violence and tragedy than she had. They didn't often talk about it, but she knew he had. She could see it on his face sometimes. Like now.

"You're okay," Lucy told him in, what she hoped, was a warm and comforting tone. He didn't acknowledge her words but his eyes wildly searched the room, immediately going to the sofa Rufus had been sleeping on. She squeezed his arm and answered his silent question. "Rufus is fine. He went to check on the Lifeboat, just in case Emma jumped to the present while we were sleeping. Everyone is okay, Wyatt. We're in a motel in 1968 and we're safe."

He surprised her by releasing her hand and bring both of his hands to either side of her face. His thumbs caressed her cheeks as he suddenly pressed his forehead to hers and closed his eyes. She watched his face as he breathed slow and deep. His thumbs were still tracing over her cheeks. She wasn't sure what he was thinking but it felt as though he were trying to assure himself she were real. She couldn't explain why she felt that way, but she did. She brought her hands to his shoulders and then traced them up, over his neck. One hand rested on the base of his neck where it met his skull and the other went into his hair.

Even with his eyes closed pain and fear were still etched on Wyatt's face. What had he seen? What could have caused this?

As if he sensed her question he spoke in a voice that was rough and raw. He sounded as if he'd been screaming for hours and she wondered if that's what he'd been doing in his nightmares. "You were gone," he said simply. "They killed you and they killed Rufus and I got there too late."

She had a feeling there was more to it than that, but at least he was speaking now. Though she was surprised. She'd assumed he'd been reliving something from his past, but this something new. Something that had never happened. His eyes were still closed and his hands were still clutching her face like his only lifeline. "That would never happen," she assured him. "You're never late," she said with a small grin. "You're always annoyingly on time, Soldier."

She saw a grin tug at his lips but it never fully formed.

"I don't know what I would do, Luce, if I lost someone I cared about again," he admitted, eyes seemingly permanently closed now. "I can't lose anyone else." His eyes opened then and the desperation in them nearly knocked the wind out of her. "I can't lose you."

Her eyes watered and she felt tears stinging behind them. She blinked them back and brought one of her hands to the side of his face and ran her hands back into his hair. She repeated the motion, running her delicate hands over his scalp. "You haven't lost Rufus, Wyatt. You haven't lost me. I'm right here in front of you. I trust you with my life and that is not changing anytime soon. I don't care what nightmares or doubts you have. I know you'll come through for me, and for Rufus, every time. I have faith in you."

She felt his hold on her face relax and the pain that had been etched on his face since she'd first looked over at him faded. His admission and her reassurance seemed to be the magic words. She expected him to let her go, but he didn't. He moved his hands from her face and wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her against him with two hands flattened against her back. She wrapped her arms around his neck in return and rested her head in the crook of his neck. She turned her face toward his and placed a soft kiss on his still tense jaw. The muscles there relaxed almost instantly. She heard him exhale loudly and is if he'd just released all of his fear and tension, his body softened.

"Thank you, ma'am," he said as his hands rubbed her back.

She smiled softly and pressed her face into his shoulder for a lingering moment. She wanted to enjoy this. He was at peace if only for a moment and so was she. In a few hours they'd be chasing Rittenhouse again and she wanted to have this memory to help her get through it. Finally she lifted her head from his shoulder and replied, "Anytime, soldier."


	3. things you said when you were drunk

"How long has it been since you've been kissed, Lucy? And I mean like really good and kissed?"

She must have looked at Wyatt as if he'd grown a second head. Did he really just ask her that? She moved the glass of whiskey just out of his reach before she spoke. "How many have you had, Wyatt?"

He waved his hand dismissively. The movement was a little sluggish. There was her answer. Too many.

"Just enough," he responded.

She laughed and shook her head. "Yeah, right."

"You didn't answer my question," Wyatt said as he quirked a brow at her.

"You're drunk," she told him.

"Yes, but I still asked you a legit question," he said with a grin. "How long since you've been really and truly good and kissed?"

Her mind flashed to one mistake of a make out session with Noah after everything with Bonnie and Clyde. She'd been so desperate to prove to herself that it hadn't been Wyatt that had made her feel something with that kiss. She'd wanted it to be the roles they were playing, the story he'd told, and the fact that she hadn't kissed someone in longer than she cared to admit. But kissing Noah hadn't felt like kissing Wyatt. All she'd proven to herself was that she actually did have feelings for Wyatt.

She sighed and looked over at Wyatt hesitantly. "December 6th of last year."

He paused and his brow furrowed. She watched as his drunken brain made the connection. "You kissed Noah? The fake fiancé guy? You kissed him? Really kissed him?"

"That shouldn't be a surprise. You know I actually tried to make it work with him-"

"I know you went on dates with him," Wyatt said as he interrupted her. "I didn't know you two were doing anything other than that."

He didn't look irritated, which was what she expected. No, he looked hurt and slightly jealous.

"It was one time," she said with a shrug. "It was right after a weird jump and I was feeling a little _strange_. Call it a moment of weakness."

"A weird jump," Wyatt said thoughtfully. Even drunk she knew he'd figure it out. "Wasn't that right after Bonnie and Clyde?"

"Listen, why don't you let me take you home," Lucy asked. "You've had plenty and it's getting late."

"You make two very good points, babydoll," he said as he carefully stood up from his side of the booth. "We should pack it in." As she stood up too, she noticed his eyes drift to the whiskey remaining in his glass and before she could stop him he'd picked it up and downed the rest of it. "Too slow," he told her with a wink.

She chuckled at him and shook her head. "Just go," she said as she swatted his arm and gently pushed him toward the door. They headed to her car in silence and as they got in and buckled up she thought the subject had been dropped.

She was wrong.

"So, who was the better kisser?" He asked as she drove off toward his apartment. "Me or Doctor Fake Fiancé McStubblyChin?"

She laughed loudly. Partially in panic at the question but mostly at the ridiculous nickname he'd chosen to give Noah. "Do you really want me to answer that?"

He simply quirked a brow at her in response.

Guess so. "It wouldn't really be fair to compare. The Bonnie and Clyde kiss was fake, right? So it's a different set of expectations," she told him. Though, honestly, Wyatt's kiss has been earth shattering. Noah's...not so much.

"So, me then?" He asked with a knowing smirk.

"Wyatt," Lucy said with a sigh and a warning glance.

"No, I get it. You can't say it out loud because of all that 'playing a role' bullshit I fed you afterward. Don't worry. We'll never mention it again," he told her as he leaned back in the passenger seat and closed his eyes. "But for the record let's just both agree I'm the better kisser."

She rolled her eyes at him and chuckled. "Fine, but this doesn't leave this car and you do not let it go to your head. Deal?"

He opened one eye with a self satisfied smirk. "Deal," he said as he gave her an expectant look.

"For the record, you are, in fact, a better kisser than Noah. Okay? Does that make your manly pride happy?" Lucy asked him with a blush and a shy smile.

"Mhmm," he said as he turned half of a smile on her. In the face of those blue eyes and that smile she was already close to melting, but at the sound of his next words she nearly missed a red light. "Just wait till I kiss you for you real, Professor. The competition won't even be close."

His eyes had a dark edge to them and his words held a serious promise. She felt herself blushing from her neck to the top of her hairline. Oh god, she hoped he gave her some warning when that day came because honestly she was worried she might not survive.


	4. things you said in the lifeboat

"Is it possible to both loathe and love a place all at once?" Lucy asked while laying upside down in her chair on the Lifeboat. They'd come back from a jump two hours ago but neither she nor Wyatt seemed to want to leave. Lucy had grabbed twizzlers from the vending machine and then they'd both taken a walk.

They'd ending up in the Lifeboat. Lucy had her feet up over the top of the seat and her head hanging off the bottom. Wyatt had opted to lay across the floor. He fought the urge to laugh at the image she made. Hair hanging off the seat with a twizzler in one hand and the other gesturing while she talked.

"I don't see why not," Wyatt said with a shrug.

"Because as much time as we spend in this ridiculous eyeball, I both love and hate it," she said with a sigh. "I love it because it means more time with you and Rufus but I hate it because we always almost die."

This time he did laugh.

"I'm serious!" she said as she attempted to swat at Wyatt from her upside down position.

"I know you are," Wyatt said with a smirk. "It's just, I mean, we can all hang out with out being in this orb of death." He said as he motioned to the Lifeboat around them.

"Orb of death, that's a new one," she said with a nod of approval. "Nice."

"Thanks," Wyatt said with a chuckle.

"The thing is, you're right, we can do that, but once these missions are over-"

"If that day ever comes," Wyatt interrupted with an exhausted sigh.

"It'll come," Lucy said with forced confidence. "I'm not living my whole life looking over my shoulder." He hoped she was right. He didn't want that for her either. She pulled her legs off of the top of the seat and turned to put the in Rufus's seat so she was sprawled across two seats. She took a deep steadying breath and then continued. "Anyway, once these missions are over, once we're done with this orb of death, we'll all go our separate ways. Rufus will find some brilliant exciting job here at Mason to keep him busy. I suppose I'll go back to teaching. And then you...you go on to your next mission - your next team. So, I love this stupid boat for keeping us together but I hate it for almost getting us killed day after day."

Wyatt reached up and grabbed Lucy's free hand as it hung down from the chair and then laced his fingers through hers. He squeezed her hand to get her to look at him. "Even on my next mission, my next team, there won't be any other team like this one, Professor. We're not just gonna move on and forget each other," he promised. "I'm pretty sure I couldn't even if I wanted to."

She scoffed. "Yeah, kinda hard to forget time travel." He noticed they were still holding hands. Well, if she wasn't going to let go then neither was he.

"That's not what I mean. Yeah, Lucy, time travel is cool when we're not on the run from it or when it's not shooting at us or trying to suffocate us in air tight rooms. But that's not what I won't be able to forget. There's a certain bossy know-it-all that already has that privilege."

She beamed at him and blushed slightly. "Really?"

He nodded and gave her half of a smile in return. "Yeah, really."

"Well, there may be a reckless hothead that I'd have trouble forgetting too. Maybe," she said as he gave him a teasing grin.

"Hey! Why wasn't I told about the slumber party in the Lifeboat," Rufus said as he appeared at the door. He spotted their joined hands and rolled his eyes with a chuckle. "Oh, nevermind, I get it."

Lucy laughed and released Wyatt's hand. "Stop! We just ended up here. We didn't exclude you."

"We didn't even know you were still here," Wyatt told him. He was missing Lucy's hand already.

"A likely story," Rufus said as he climbed inside and took Wyatt's usual chair. "Gimme a twizzler."

Lucy reached across to hand him a twizzler and Wyatt grinned at both of them. Yeah, this was definitely not a team he'd ever forget.


	5. things you said through your teeth

"No," Wyatt sneered through his teeth.

"Wyatt-"

"Lucy, no," he repeated through his jaw that was still clenched shut. "I don't trust that guy."

Lucy gave him a weary glance and nodded. "Yes, I know. But it's Noah," she told him with a shrug. "He's harmless."

Wyatt quirked a brow at her. "Harmless? He wants to meet you alone in exchange for information on your mother. If he was harmless, there'd be no stipulations. He'd just tell us. This screams trap. You're not going."

Her eyes widened and flashed with anger. "That sounded like you were forbidding me or something."

"That's exactly what I'm doing. It's my job to keep you safe and this is not safe. I can't believe you're even considering it," Wyatt said with a shake of his head.

"Now, who's being the bossy know-it-all?" She asked him with a glare. "We need the information and he's not going to give it to me with you standing over my shoulder glowering at him."

"Glowering? I don't-what the hell is a glower?" He asked in a frustrated tone.

"It's a scowl," Rufus offered as he hesitantly leaned into Lucy and Wyatt's show down of glares. Wyatt turned to give him a silencing look and Rufus pointed at him with an amused grin. "Like that."

"Thank you, Rufus. Not helping," Wyatt told him as he pinched the bridge of his nose. He took Lucy by the elbow and led her away from Rufus, Agent Christopher, Jiya, and Mason.

Lucy ripped her elbow out of his grasp with a huff. "Noah is not going to hurt me, Wyatt."

"Right, and you're the expert on Noah despite the fact that you still barely know him. You went on, what, two dates? Wore his freaking diamond on your hand and suddenly you know him? That's not how this works," he said with a huff. "Your mother was pulling for the two of you, right? You told me you fought about it after you moved back in, didn't you?"

"Yes," she said with a roll of her eyes. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Did you ever stop to think that maybe there was a reason she was so invested in your relationship with Noah?" Wyatt asked with a sigh. "That maybe he's not what he seems?"

Her eyes widened and she lifted a brow at him. "Are you saying that you think Noah might be Rittenhouse?"

"I don't know, but it's never sit well with me that this guy was a part of your life while your mother was Rittenhouse or that they suddenly found the ability to track us to that warehouse not five minutes after you walked him out," Wyatt said with a shake of his head. "So, no, you're not going alone. If you insist on going then I'm going with you even if I have to handcuff us together to make it happen."

She pressed her lips together as her lips twitched upward and he suddenly realized what he said. He chuckled at himself and cleared his throat, "That's not what I meant."

She laughed softly and then quirked a brow at him. "Kinky."

He shook his head grinned down at the floor. He was looking at anything but her. "That's not-I didn't-"

"Oh my god," Lucy said with a smirk as she spotted the pink tint running across his cheeks. "Are you blushing?"

"No," he said through gritted teeth. "I'm not."

"Yes, you are," she said in singing tone and obvious glee.

"Lucy," he said with an embarrassed sigh. "We're drifting from the point."

She giggled at him and then shook her head. "Fine, you can come with me. You may have a point about him not being what he seems."

"Thank you," he said with a relieved exhale.

"You can still bring the handcuffs if you want, though," she said with a wide teasing grin.

"Can we never talk about this again, please?" He asked in embarrassment.

"Never again?" She asked with a quirked brow and a wicked smirk. "You sure about that? Seems a shame to eliminate the possibility completely, sweetheart."

His eyebrows shot up at that and he was pretty sure his mouth dropped open.

She winked at him and patted his shoulder consolingly. "Come on, let's go. Noah's waiting." She walked away toward the exit without another word and Wyatt shook his head.

That woman was constantly surprising him.


	6. things you said over the phone

That first night after Lucy's mother reveals she's Rittenhouse is the worst. Three of Agent Christopher's agents whisk Lucy away without so much as letting her say one word to Wyatt or Rufus. Wyatt feels the stress of it in his shoulders. He needed to talk to her. How could they just take her? It was his job to look out for her. How could Agent Christopher deny him that?

They didn't even say where they were taking her or how long he'd be separated from her. The timing felt sadistic. Like the Universe knew they were on the brink of something so it just had to throw them a curveball. Lucy had looked so upset when she'd shown back up at Mason Industries. She looked lost and confused and so alone but before he could do anything about that haunted look in her eyes she was gone. Taken just out of his reach.

To say he and Agent Christopher had exchanged words over it was an understatement. He'd been furious.

Now he was home in his apartment but he knew any attempts at sleep were useless. It wasn't happening tonight. Not while he knew Lucy was alone in some safe house and there was nothing he could do to help her. He thought about calling her but Agent Christopher said they'd taken Lucy's phone to make sure the GPS couldn't be traced. So, that was out too.

Goddamn it he hated this.

His phone rang from his bedside table. He didn't recognize the number. The last time an unknown number had called him it had been Garcia Flynn. What if this was Rittenhouse? Oh hell, if it was he'd like to give them a piece of his mind. They couldn't control people like this. They couldn't make Lucy question everything she knew and everyone she loved. Not without a few consequences that he'd love to personally deal out. He answered with a tense clenched jaw.

"Wyatt Logan."

"Thank god," the voice on the other end said with a shaky sigh.

He immediately gripped the phone tighter and breathed a sigh of relief. "Lucy," he said on an exhale. Her name came out breathy and reverent.

"Hi," she said. He could hear tears in her voice.

"Are you okay? Agent Christopher said they took your phone," Wyatt asked her with a furrowed brow.

"They did," she told him. "One of the agents gave me this burner a few minutes ago. It has 3 numbers programmed in it. Rufus, Agent Christopher, and you. And as for whether or not I'm okay...I don't know. I honestly don't know. I mean I know they have me locked up pretty securely here but I don't know these agents. It still doesn't feel-" She paused and he could hear her labored breathing over the phone, as if she were trying her hardest not to break down into sobs. "It still doesn't feel safe here. I don't like this. I'm dealing with enough and I don't like dealing with being separated from you _too_."

"I don't like it either," he admitted. "Trust me. I had a very long discussion with Christopher about how much I hate this."

"I'm never going to get to sleep," she said with a sniffle.

He let out a dark chuckled. "I was just thinking the same thing."

"Because of me?" She asked.

"Because I'm not there with you," he clarified. "The only way I can assure myself that you're safe is to be there with you. Like all the other times there has been a threat to your safety. This feels wrong. Like leaving you in 1954 with Flynn. That killed me."

"I didn't like it either," she admitted. "It had to be done, but it made me uneasy. Not that any of that matters now," she said with a sigh. "They have the Mothership."

"It still matters, Lucy," he assured her. "A lot of bad guys are behind bars because of that. Your mother and Emma didn't change that."

"This whole time, she knew," Lucy said with sadness and awe in her voice. "She knew what I'd been doing and she acted like she was so mad at me. But really I was...god I was playing right into her hands. My own _mother_. How much of my life did I really choose for myself? Has everything that I accomplished in my career been orchestrated by Rittenhouse? I mean, did earn _any_ of it?"

"Oh no," Wyatt said immediately. "We're not going there. You work harder than anyone I've ever met, Lucy, and you're _brilliant_. You weren't handed anything. Don't for a second let her take the things you earned for yourself away from you."

"The only reason we met is because Rittenhouse wanted me on those missions," she said softly.

He sighed and shook his head. "Screw 'em," he said with a growl.

"What?"

"Lucy, forget Rittenhouse. Screw 'em. Your life is your life. You decided to leave the university to work for Mason Industries, you decided to break if off with Noah, you decided to ask for Ethan's help. Rittenhouse and your mother did not want any of that to happen. That was all _you_. Now, we need to move forward and finish what we started. We take them out. No different than Flynn."

"How are you so confident right now?" She asked with a nervous sigh.

"Because I know us," he answered. "I know what kind of team we make. We did it once, we can do it again. We just have to stick together. Believe in each other." He huffed and shook his head. "Tomorrow, I'm getting you out of that damn safe house. You don't belong there. You belong here. With me. I'm gonna make sure that happens."

"I believe you," she said softly. You could practically hear the small serene smile you knew was on her face. "I believe _in_ you, Wyatt. That's why I'd rather be with you than here."

"And you will be," he promised. "Tomorrow."


	7. things you said when you thought I was asleep

The first time it happened she thought she imagined it. She was in that strange state between sleep and awake and as she succumbed to the sleep he spoke. She convinced herself she hadn't really heard it and that sleep was causing her dreams to mix with reality.

But then it happened again. Could she imagine him saying those words, in the same manner, twice? She wanted it so badly that she thought maybe she could. Maybe she could imagine some whispered confession as she fell asleep on his shoulder because it had been so long since they'd discussed "possibilities" and she wanted reassurance that he was still considering them...with her.

Despite all the insanity of her life and all the things that seemed to be in their way, she wanted him to still want her. After Carol Preston, after everything with Jessica, after chasing the Mothership through time, after all the time that passed from their fleeting moment of victory to the crushing reality of their defeat she didn't know if it was still possible for him to want her. Her family, her legacy, did this. Why would he want to be involved in that any more than he already was? Especially after how tragically things ended with Jessica. Would he risk another tragic ending? Because surely the two of them would only end badly. Everything else in her life seemed to.

So, yes, she decided. She imagined it. She projected her wishful thinking on to him and in the haze of half sleep she'd mistaken a wish for reality. That's all it was.

These were the thoughts she was having as she next to Wyatt on his couch during what had become their weekly movie night. It started as a joke. They'd wanted to watch Weapon of Choice and make fun of it for all the liberties that had been taken. But they'd watched a movie the next week, and the next week, and pretty soon it was just an assumption on the schedule. It was a welcome light break from secret cult like societies and watching the horrors of history unfold around them so neither party allowed themselves to think much about how easily they'd fallen into that routine.

She felt sleep creeping in, as it always did, toward the end of the movie. This time she was determined not to fall asleep on his shoulder. She could, however, harmless rest her head there, right? She could enjoy having him close since this was the only time in the week that was really just the two of them, side by side. Only he must have assumed she was actually asleep because he chuckled lightly and wrapped the blanket tighter around her shoulders.

"There you go again, ma'am," he said with a soft amused tone. "This pattern of ours is making it damn near impossible to resist you."

She tried not to react or gasp or move. She knew if she indicated she'd heard him he'd stop. Instead she closed her eyes and forced he body to relax even more against him. She felt his lips on the top of her head, briefly before he continued in a whisper.

"You're making me fall more and more in love with you every day."

That time, she did gasp. Just barely. She couldn't help it. Those were the words she thought she'd heard. Clear as day, though whispered against her hair. She hadn't dreamed it or imagined it at all. Those words had been real. He was real.

Only now she didn't know what to do about it. Did she let him know she wasn't asleep? Did she pretend she hadn't heard him? Why couldn't he say that to her aloud when he knew she was awake? A brief flash of resentment from that thought encouraged her to call him on it. She bit her bottom lip before she spoke, eyes still closed with a smirk now playing across her lips. "That so?"

He tensed next to her and then took a long slow breath before putting distance between them on the couch. "You're awake."

She chuckled at the obvious statement and then opened her eyes as she nodded. "Yes, Wyatt, I'm awake."

When she finally looked over at him she was glad to see a sheepish expression on his face. At least, she thought, it seemed he felt bad for only confessing things to her when she was sleeping.

His blue eyes met hers and she saw uncertainty fade into resolve as he spoke up with a confident nod. "And you heard."

"Every word," she replied.

He stared at her for a long moment as he studied her expression thoroughly. She wasn't sure what he was looking for but after the long moment ended he said, "I'm glad."

She didn't know what she expected from him. Maybe a denial? Maybe a brush off? A statement from him about how she hadn't heard what she thought she heard or some other attempt at preserving the status quo? Any of those things, she would have been prepared to face. But a steady unwavering confirmation that he'd said nothing but the truth threw her for a loop.

"Y-you are?" She asked with a furrowed brow.

"I couldn't have said it otherwise, but I needed to," he admitted. He chuckled bitterly and shook his head. "I mean why would you want to add me to the laundry list of complications you're already facing? I didn't want to make things more confusing or worse for you." The sardonic tone to his words floated away as he looked away from her with a boyish grin she'd only seen on his face one time before. It was a look of joy and excitement and she was sad to realize that she'd only seen it once when he was faced with meeting Ian Fleming. Now it was back on his face, beautiful as it was then, while he continued. "But I have to admit, knowing you actually heard me say it out loud feels pretty damn great."

She looked away from him to process his words. Complication? How could he think of himself that way? He was the only thing about her world that wasn't complicated these days. He was steadfast and true. Two things she didn't have a lot of anymore. And now that she knew that he wanted her too there is no way in hell he could make her confused. In fact, it was the opposite. Certain things seemed much clearer. She folded her hands in her lap and smiled softly as she studied them. She needed something focus on while she talked.

"I've heard you say those words two times before," she admitted. "But I thought-I thought I had imagined it. I told myself there was no way you would willingly tangle yourself into the mess that has become my life. That you wouldn't want the mess. I thought I had to have dreamed it."

The distance he'd put between them when he realized she was awake was suddenly gone. His shoulder and thigh pressed lightly against hers but her eyes stayed glued to her hands. She was somehow afraid this all actually was a dream and that the minute she looked up she'd wake up alone on his couch with a blanket draped over her. She felt one of his arms go around her, his hand landing on her hip and using it to pull her closer, and the other reached in front, a hand coming down to rest on top of her folded ones.

He leaned into her space, pressed his forehead to her temple and then kissed her cheek with a sigh. The only word she could think of to describe what she heard in that sigh was longing. There was no other word for it.

"Not a dream, Luce," he whispered. "I'm here. You're here. _We're_ here."

She felt an involuntary shiver and had no idea if it was his proximity or his words or both that caused it. It didn't really matter because it was all wonderful. The feel of him beside her and wrapped around her: wonderful. The smell of him that now clouded her senses: wonderful. The sound of his whispers, only for her: wonderful.

In a flash, she turned in his embrace and pressed her lips to his. If he was surprised by the sudden movement he didn't show it. He just smiled against her lips and then deepened the kiss. One kiss became two and then three and then they never seemed to stop. Tongues teasing. Teeth nipping gently. She realized at some point he'd moved her onto his lap. Both of her hands held his face, caressing his cheeks with her thumbs. He had one hand under the hem of her shirt, lazily caressing the skin on her back and the other hand was buried her hair at the base of her head. His fingers softly massaged her scalp. Eventually, the need for air superseded the ever growing need for contact and they pulled back.

She pressed her forehead to his beamed at him with undeniable joy that she honestly didn't know she could feel anymore. She realized then that she'd never really verbalized her own feelings. She thought the kissing probably go the point across, but she'd learned since losing Amy to never take anything for granted.

"For the record," she said breathlessly. "You're pretty impossible to resist yourself and I don't think I could keep myself from falling in love with you if I tried." She had tried. They both had. But both knew there was nothing either of them could or would have done to keep it from happening. Not now. Not ever.

"Noted and filed," Wyatt said with an affectionate smile that traveled all the way up to his intense blue eyes. "Ma'am."

She nearly groaned at the way he'd uttered that word. She'd hated it once upon a time but now all it did was make her melt. Just for that, for the use of that title, she kissed him again and, if the way his arms tightened around her was any indication, there would be no stopping this time.


	8. things you said when you were crying (Rufus/Jiya)

For the first time since all this insane time vision shit started she finds herself crying. She doesn't want to cry. Especially not when she sees Rufus round the corner, walking directly toward her. He doesn't need to see her crying. He already feels as though the whole thing is his fault, which is ridiculous. But the more she wipes them away the more they fall.

She's never one to run away but she finds herself fleeing in the direction of the wardrobe. She's really only delaying the inevitable and has in actuality merely shown her hand because the minute she turns and walks away Rufus knows something is wrong. He follows her, of course, until she stops at one of the mirrors in the Wardrobe. Her eyes are red and her cheeks are wet and she grabs a wad of tissues. Her sleeve was too wet to be a viable option anymore.

"Jiya?" Rufus asked with concern.

"I'm fine."

"No, you're not," he says. She sees his soft knowing expression in the mirror from where he stands behind her. "Did something happen?"

"Just, you know, one of those things," she said with a lame shrug. One of those things being her flashes to the past which were becoming less frequent but for longer periods of time. Usually she only saw places, not events. But the longer the visions were the more inclusive they became. This time, for whatever reason, she'd been shown the inside of a sweatshop clearly before child labor laws had been implemented. Little bodies, little hands, weaving between heavy imposing machinery looking haggard and tired and old beyond their small amount of years. She thought of all the children who actually grew up in those conditions and, in some parts of the world, still are. The minute she did, the waterworks started.

Rufus nodded in understanding and then pulled her close. She rested her head on his shoulder and sighed tiredly.

"History sucks," she told him as she tightened her arms around him.

"You saw more this time, didn't you?" He asked. He knew the answer, but he still had to hear it from her.

"Children in sweatshops, based on the clothing it was another era," she answered as noticed the wet spot growing on Rufus's shirt. If she was seeing this in her visions, what must Rufus have seen? He'd gone and walked around in the past. Here she was blubbering over one vision when he had seen so much more. "Do you feel like this all the time?" She asked him.

"No," he said honestly. "Sometimes, it's cool. Bass Reeves, the moon landing, Hemmingway, Ian Fleming, the Rat Pack...that was all beyond amazing." He paused and placed a kiss on the top of her head. "But for every awesome experience is usually an equally horrifying one."

His tone alluded to memories that she wished he didn't have and somehow all it did was make more tears fall.

"I wish I could take that on for you," Jiya said softly as she turned her head to meet his eyes. "Or some of it, at least. You try not show it but I can feel the weight it puts on you."

He smiled warmly at her and shook his head before placing a long chaste kiss on her lips. It was offered to comfort her. It worked.

"Jiya," he said with a sigh and a shake of his head. "I wouldn't wish any of this on you. I'd rather take it all on myself than have you be touched by any of what I've seen. I hate that you're seeing any of it now. I hate that I can figure out how to stop it. I hate seeing _these_ on your cheeks," he said as his fingers brushed over her tear stains.

"Being here for me when it happens means more to me than you figuring it out," she told him honestly. "That's all you have to do, Rufus. Just _be here_."


	9. things you said that made me feel like shit (Rufus/Jiya)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This turned into much more of a Jiya and Wyatt friendship moment than I had planned. But damn I kinda love it. ;) Enjoy!

"I knew I should never have let you in the Lifeboat. I knew it! I'm the reason this is happening to you. This is all on me!"

She'd just finished a vision. Nothing too strange this time. Just an empty lot where Mason Industries would eventually build their warehouse. Whatever she saw seemed to based on her location at the time. But it always made her head throb, like it had been split open. Through the fog of her pain she heard Rufus's words and they hit her like a punch.

She knew it wasn't his intention but every time he blamed himself it made her feel like shit. Because this was no more his fault than hers. Or Lucy's. Or Wyatt's. Or Agent Christopher's. They'd all made the decision to put Jiya in the Lifeboat together. She knew the risks but she'd done it because the alternative would mean losing him.

But, thanks to the side effects, she seemed to be losing him anyway. He couldn't be around her with out being racked with guilt. She saw it in his eyes all the time now. The lighthearted banter they used to exchange had been replaced with worried glances and assurances she was okay. Their dates had become meetings with Mason and his team of doctors. Even the occasional drinks with Lucy and Wyatt ended earlier than they used to because Rufus insisted she needed her rest.

Guilt was killing _him_. It was killing them. What was happening to her was ruining him and every time he vocalized his guilt she felt it like a kick to the ribs. This felt less like a relationship than all that time he spent pining after her from afar. She felt like a burden that he had to carry around now. An obligation.

Maybe that's why when she came too with his hand on her back and his guilt ridden eyes searching hers, she'd scowled and pushed him away.

"Stop," she sneered.

His brow furrowed. "What? Jiya, I-"

"I can't do this, Rufus," she said with huff. "I can't have you look at me like a coding error you have to fix. I can't deal with you constantly obsessing over your guilt to the point that you don't even see me anymore."

She walked away from him without another word. Realizing for the first time that there were other people in the room. Namely, Lucy and Wyatt. The awkward silence trailed behind her and she felt three sets of eyes following her as she walked. She didn't care what they thought of her. She was right. She knew she was right. If it hurt Rufus so much to be near her then he shouldn't be. Simple as that. She'd been expecting someone to follow her, but she hadn't expected to feel a large very calloused hand gently grab her elbow. That wasn't Rufus.

She turned to find Wyatt smiling weakly at her. "Hey," he said as he released her elbow. "Are you okay?"

She laughed but the sound was hollow. "He looks at me like he's lost me, and he doesn't even see that I'm-I'm right there." There was a lump in her throat now and tears in her eyes.

"I know what that kind of guilt feels like," Wyatt told her. "The helpless guilt of something unspeakable happening to someone you love. I know that guilt inside and out. It's not easy to cope with that."

"But it's not his fault!" She yelled. "It was a collective group decision that could not have been avoided. And now I have to go through this alone because he doesn't actually look at me any more. He's not present in the moment after I have the vision because of that guilt. We don't have a moment that's not about the visions and he's not seeing how that makes all of this so much worse."

"Okay," Wyatt said with an understanding nod. "Then tell him that. Make him see it. Sometimes when guilt is about to swallow you whole, you need a kick in the ass to give you some perspective," Wyatt told her with a smirk. "So, go kick his ass. Figuratively, I mean."

Jiya let out a watery chuckle and gave Wyatt an amused look. "Speaking from experience?"

"I acted like a selfish asshole once," he told her. "Stole a time machine and when I got back, Fate or the Universe or whatever the hell it is kicked my ass. So, yeah, I'm speaking from experience."

They exchanged sympathetic looks for a long moment until that faded and Jiya realized she needed to actually talk to Rufus. Wyatt smirked knowingly at her and guided her by the shoulders until she was out side of the room she'd just left. He shoved her lightly toward the door.

"Go, talk," Wyatt told her simply with a friendly smile.

The minute she stepped through the door, Rufus turned to face her. The relief that flooded his face was undeniable and he crossed the room in a split second. Before she understood what was happening his lips were on hers and he was kissing her desperately. She could feel the apology in his kiss and, when he finally pulled back, she could see it on his face.

"Jiya, I never meant to-I wasn't thinking," he said softly with his hand gently caressing her face. "You're more than just these stupid visions and you know I love you, right?"

She smiled warmly at his words and nodded, but her expression hardened. Wyatt was right, she needed to talk to him honestly. "I _know_ that, Rufus, but lately it hasn't felt like it. I don't feel like a person anymore. I feel like a problem. Nothing that is happening to me is your fault and, while I love you, I will not stay here and be treated like an obligation."

"You're not. God, you're so not either of those things. I have never seen you as a problem or an obligation. I'm sorry you felt like you were," Rufus said as he pressed his forehead to hers and held her tighter.

"I'd rather have you here for me," she admitted as tears formed in her eyes again. "Then trying to fix me. I can't go through this alone and that's how felt since these visions started. Alone."

"You're not alone," Rufus promised. "Never alone. I'll work on making sure you know that from now on."

He said it with such determination that she didn't even think to question him. For the first time in months it felt like _her_ Rufus was back. "I believe you," she said as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled herself into his embrace. "I've missed you."

"I've missed you too," he said with a relieved sigh. "God, so much."


	10. things you said under the stars and in the grass (Rufus/Jiya)

 

One of the things that drew Jiya to Mason Industries in the first place had been the campus. Yes, working with Connor Mason had been the biggest draw but she was really sold on it when she saw the grounds he'd built around his compound. Beautiful grass landscaping that had little clearings, perfect for working outside. Or for taking a break under the stars.

Which is what she'd been doing since the team had gotten back from their last jump. She'd greeted them like she always did, helped Lucy get out of her period clothing, and then she came out here. Rufus knew where to meet her and she imagined he'd be along after he changed. The stars weren't entirely visible here, but the sky and the soft breeze was still a pretty impressive backdrop.

She'd laid out a large blanket and kept herself on one side of it, leaving room for Rufus once he arrived. Which just happened to be at that moment.

"Come on, we gotta be outside? I just spent 48 hours at a Revolutionary war camp in White Plains, New York in 1776. I think I've had enough nature for now," Rufus said with a smirk as he laid down next to her. "Though I like this company better, honestly."

"How'd that go, by the way?"

"Tricky, we had to avoid General Washington. We've seen it once so we couldn't risk seeing him again because-"

"Ah, yeah I don't need the headache inducing reasons you had to avoid a paradox. It's fine in SciFi stuff but in real life it causes mild panic," Jiya said with a light laugh.

"Tell me about it," Rufus said with a snort.

Jiya rolled to her side to face him. Her eyes roamed his face, searching for any signs of turmoil. "Other than the paradox stuff. It was okay?" She asked.

He nodded and she saw no signs of horror in his expression. "Regular old SNAFU."

Jiya smirked and quirked a brow at him. "Military slang. Wyatt's rubbing off on you."

Rufus chuckled and nodded. "Wyatt made a Star Wars reference today. An obscure one. He introduced me to people as Willrow Hood."

Jiya laughed loudly. "So, the learning is mutual then?"

"In his defense, once you know ice cream maker guy's name it's a little too amusing to forget," Rufus said with a laugh of his own.

She reached over and laced her hand through his, she rolled onto her back again and sighed happily. "I like this."

"This?" Rufus asked.

She held up their joined hands and smiled affectionately at him. " _This_. You and me just...talking. About nothing, about everything. Just...being together. Things have been so crazy lately that this feels rare."

Rufus brought the back of her hand to his lips and kissed it softly. "I like _this_ too," he told her. "The insanity makes it mean even more, honestly. You're the little bit of normal and sane that I have left most days."

"I know what you mean," Jiya said with a sigh. Being with Rufus made her forget her visions and made everything seem right. He was all she needed to feel at peace with her life. As long as she had him, the world would always be right.


	11. things you said at 1 am (Rufus/Jiya)

 

"So if Wash is to Serenity as you are to the Lifeboat does that mean I'm Zoe?" Jiya asked as they were cuddled up on his couch watching _Firefly._

The team had gotten back from a jump just over an hour ago and they'd decided mindless tv would be best. It was after one in the morning and they'd been up longer than was probably healthy so minimal brain power was key. They needed something they'd watched so much that their attention wasn't required.

Rufus laughed and then nodded. "Absolutely. You are my warrior goddess."

She smirked. "Oh I like that. That's what you're going to call me from now on."

"Oh I am?" He asked with a grin.

"You will if you want to getting any," she said with a quirked brow and a wicked grin.

"Warrior Goddess it is," Rufus said immediately.

She laughed and then placed a kiss on his cheek. "You're the best, Flyboy."

"Anything for you," he said as he looked down at her with a warm teasing smile. He poked her side before he continued, "Warrior Goddess."

She squeaked and twisted away from him before continuing with the discussion. "Wyatt is totally Mal, by the way. Like spot on comparison," Jiya said as she pointed to the character on the screen.

Rufus grimaced. "But then would that make Lucy...Inara?"

"Duh," Jiya told him. "I mean the way she and Wyatt butt heads over history is totally just foreplay. They've got the same 'would be should be if we could get over our hang ups' vibe."

Rufus nodded his agreement before he chuckled at her description. "When you say it, it makes so much sense."

"That's cause I'm a scary perceptive warrior goddess," she said with a bright smile as she nested her head against his chest.

"You got the scary part right," he replied with a teasing gleam in his eyes.

"I do not have to take this abuse," she said in a haughty tone. She lifted herself from him and went through the act of trying to leave but he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her back down to the couch.

"Nuh uh," he said with a laugh. "You're not going anywhere, Warrior Goddess. You're staying right here."

"Then stop being mean to me," she said with a playful pout.

"By your own admission, you're a warrior goddess. You can take it," he said with a teasing wink. He reached out and gently poked her pouted lip back. "Now quit with the pout."

"And what are you going to do if I don't?" She asked him with a challenging look.

"I got a few tricks up my sleeve," he said with a grin.

"Like what?" she asked him as she sat up and put a hand on her hip.

He used his arms that were still around her waist to pull her back to him and then placed a firm kiss on her still pouty lips. She stiffened for a moment, trying to fight him out of sheer stubbornness, before she finally relaxed and let him deepen kiss. Just as she'd really sunk into it, he pulled back at her with a wicked smirk.

"Like that," he told her as he turned his attention back to the TV.

She nodded and licked her lips as she recovered. "Yep, that'll do it."


	12. things you said when I was crying

 

She knew the date well enough. She'd helped you research it enough that there is no reason she wouldn't remember it. But things with Lucy were still complicated. She was working on her issues and you yours and the assumption was that someday soon when you're both confident enough, you'd make it work. But today was not that day because today was the anniversary of the worst mistake of your life. The day you will always regret.

The day you lost Jess.

Moving on by no means results in forgetting. It means living with what you can't change and realizing your mistakes don't mean you have to stop living. It means you realize that if Jess saw how you'd been living your life in her absence she would kick your ass. It doesn't mean you ignore the day you lost her forever.

But given how you'd hurt Lucy in the past with careless angry words you'd been hesitant to tell her about today. You didn't want her to feel as if she somehow had to compete with a memory. So, you'd locked yourself away in your apartment. Wallowing in your red rimmed eyes and the tears you seldom let fall.

Even though you knew she was aware of the date you were surprised to find Lucy on the other side of your apartment door. Unable to do anything else at the sight of her warm supportive smile, you stepped aside and let her in.

You didn't know what you expected but it wasn't for Lucy cradle your head in her hands, look you in the eyes, and then say:

"Tell me about her."

You swallow back a new batch of tears because you realized something in that moment. You realized you _wanted_ to talk about her. You wanted Lucy to know just how much Jess had shaped you into who you were now. You wanted to remember more than just the day you lost her and you wanted someone else to know Jess was real.

And only _Lucy_ would know that before _you_ did.

The sadness and regret burns less the more you talk and you find yourself telling stories you've never told to anyone before. Stories that had previously only belonged to you and Jess. They're safe with Lucy and you honestly find it a relief to know someone else will remember them if you ever forget.

It's the day you lost Jess, but it's also the day you realize how blessed you really are. You've somehow managed to stumble across two brilliant caring women willing to put up with your shit in the same lifetime. You're not deserving of it but you're grateful for it in a way you definitely weren't when you woke up that morning.


	13. things you said after you kissed me

 

Wyatt had forced her hand. He knew. He'd pushed her buttons purposefully because teasing Lucy was always entertaining. Besides, he needed to know how much she'd let him get away with. Little gestures seemed to be her weakness. He'd figured that much out over time. Helping her out of the Lifeboat, checking her seatbelt, placing a hand on the small of her back as they walked, his hand on back of her head when they hugged. Those were all things he knew she enjoyed, even if she never admitted it out loud.

So, he'd decided to find out how much would break her. He liked the way her eyes softened on him when she noticed it or how a little chink in her armor appeared when he called her 'ma'am.' Her cheeks tinted pink more often these days and he liked that too.

Really, he liked it anytime Lucy seemed to forget herself in him. Because honestly, he'd forget himself in her too.

They'd run into one of her colleagues from the University when they'd stopped off to pick up Chinese food for a night in. Wyatt stood by her side patiently, amused by the excited look on her face as she discussed the ramifications of some new historical journal that had been unearthed in some corner of the world. He had no idea what she and this older woman were talking about but anything that made Lucy buzz with excitement left him with a sense of contentment and relief. Almost unconsciously he'd placed a hand on her back and rubbed slow circles. He didn't know when he'd started doing it but once he realized he didn't bother stopping.

Lucy's excited babbling halted and he could see the moment she noticed. Her smile turned warm and her cheeks tinted pink but it didn't stop her for long. A second later she was back to babbling like it never happened.

His name was called at the counter and Wyatt reluctantly stepped away to grab their bag of food. When he came back to Lucy she was wrapping up the conversation with a nod and a wave. He held the bag of food in one hand and then walked her toward his car with his other hand on the small of her back. When they reached car he lightly ran his hand up her back until it stopped on her shoulder. He gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze and then opened the car door for her.

His plan was to have her sit down and then hand her the food. But Lucy seemed to have other ideas. She approached him slowly, wrapped her arms around his middle and then smirked before covering his lips with hers. With one hand full of food and the other holding the car door he found himself increasingly frustrated. His lips were responding eagerly but his hands were too full to join in. She kissed him slowly and softly, while her hands ran up and down the length of his back. A frustrated groan left his mouth as she continued to kiss him and after another moment she'd pulled back with a chuckle and a smirk.

"Serves you right," she said with a wink. "You've been teasing me all week. It was my turn."

He started to protest but she quirked a brow at him with a knowing look. "That wasn't teasing," he finally said after he found his voice again. "That was just mean."

She laughed and then shrugged before taking the food from his hand. "What goes around comes around, sweetheart."

He smirked and shook his head at her. "I'm not done with you yet, babydoll. Payback is coming."

"Looking forward to it," she said with a wicked grin as she sat down in his passenger seat.

He laughed as he shut the car door and gave her an affectionate smile. "Well, played, Professor."


	14. things you said with no space between us (Rufus/Jiya)

 

"This is my favorite," Jiya said with a contented sigh as she laid down with her head on Rufus's stomach. He was stretched out over the length of her bed and she was laying across it with her feet dangling over the edge of the mattress.

His hands went into her hair and played with the her dark soft locks. "But we're not doing anything," he said with a confused grin.

"Exactly," Jiya said as she closed her eyes. "It's just us. Together. That's my favorite."

She felt one of his hands wrap around hers and lace their fingers together before he brought her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it softly. "Mine too."

"Let's just stay here for the next like 5 years," Jiya said with a soft smile. "They don't need us at Mason, right?"

He snorted and spoke up dryly. "Yeah, it's not like we're the only two people who know how to pilot the Lifeboat or anything."

"I mean how important is that, really?" She asked with a knowing grin.

He laughed and she felt the vibration of it under her head. "God, I love you."

"I know," she said as she squeezed his hand.

He balked at her and then poked her side playfully. "You did not just Han Solo me."

She giggled and then angled herself so she could meet his eyes. "You totally walked right into it."


	15. things you said that made me feel like shit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> decided to use ep 1x13 for inspiration on this one.

"Yeah, well, whatever happens it'll be worth it to have Jessica back."

There it was. The truth. The way he really felt about whatever role she played in his life. The pain that felt quick and immediate like a slap to the face. It was all there in just a handful of words. It wasn't so much that he wanted Jessica back. She knew from the very beginning he wanted Jessica back and she couldn't blame him for that.

It was the reality that he didn't care how it effected her, didn't care if he'd even still know her when he got back, didn't feel even the slightest bit of hesitation at risking their friendship. They'd had a rocky start, but she trusted him so implicitly now and that wasn't common for her. She didn't give her trust or her respect very easily. Wyatt had both and he didn't even care.

Well, maybe he did, but it must not mean very much to him if he'd toss it away without a second thought. Even if, God Forbid, he didn't get Jessica back he was still giving up all the friendship they'd earned for her. No matter what, things wouldn't be the same after he took off in that time machine. He'd be arrested or reassigned or fired or _worse_. She'd never see him again.

She didn't want to react. She didn't. But she realized the two paths in front of them were equally final. Either she would never have known him or she'd never see him again. This was the last time that she would get to talk to him like this. This was the last time. This was goodbye.

The moment the word goodbye crossed her mind, she cracked. She sat down on the steps with a sound that was something between a grunt and whimper. If she could have chosen to stay silent she would have but the emotions she'd been desperately trying to keep a handle on were slipping away from her. Her eyes were watering, her face crumpling, and she couldn't stop it. She covered her face with her hands as best she could and avoided looking at Wyatt.

Not now. Not in front of Wyatt. He was so close to getting what he wanted and, really, didn't she want that for him too?

Get it together. Focus.

"Are you okay?"

His voice sounded soft and hesitant. His tone sounded less confident now than it had a few moments ago. That got her attention. Something in his voice brought her back to the present. She'd heard reluctance. Was he maybe going to miss her too once he'd finished this very personal mission?

Stop.

It didn't matter. It was time to quit wallowing and get to work. He'd saved her life more times than she could count. She could do this for him. She could pay him back for all the times he'd been there for her. She blinked back the tears, pulled her hands away from her face, and looked up at him with a determined gaze.

"What do you need me to do?"

He needed her. He trusted her, for the moment anyway. She couldn't let him do this alone.


	16. the things you said with no space between us

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And as kind of a follow up to the last one, I let 1x14 inspire this one. ;)

He wasn't sure he'd wanted to walk into this warehouse, at first. Lucy and Rufus had been sent on a jump without him. Sure, they'd probably gotten another solider to fill his spot, but how did he know whoever it was would really protect them? They didn't know Lucy and Rufus like he did.

They didn't know that you had to keep an extra careful eye on Lucy. She tended to wander off and get in trouble. He smirked to himself at that thought. The woman who never wanted to change history somehow always caused him the most trouble.

They must have made it through, though, because Christopher implied they'd be inside. They'd come back to Rittenhouse having invaded Mason. Not only that, but while he was locked up Lucy had learned her biological father was Rittenhouse. Not just any member of Rittenhouse but the same one that threatened Rufus. He sucked in a breath at the thought of her dealing with that alone and felt a rush of guilt. He was an ass.

He remembered the last time he'd really talked to her. More than just the passing frantic exchange at Mason. The last time he’d really talked to her, he'd made her cry. She'd sat there on her steps and cried with her head in her hands.

And all he could do was stand there and avoid looking at her like a jerk.

How could she or Rufus want anything to do with him now? He'd taken Lucy for granted and risked ruining Rufus's career. He'd gone to the past and could have changed anything. He could have come back to a totally different world. The thought struck him that he could have come back to a Lucy that didn't know him and he felt a dull ache in his chest. They'd been through so much and he'd just brushed it all aside without a second thought.

He wouldn't blame her if she hated him. He still didn't know why she'd even bothered to help him at all.

So, yeah, at first he'd wanted to run in the opposite direction of the warehouse. But he didn't.

The guilt over abandoning them for his own selfish reasons had made him realize he was the only person who could do this job, who could protect Rufus and Lucy. He was in this for good now. This was his team. His mission. His duty. He just hoped they'd forgive his sorry ass.

When he opened that door and walked toward them he'd never expected Lucy to run across the room and launch herself at him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. She left absolutely no distance between them.

"Hey. You okay?"

Her words were barely a whisper but he felt a sudden sense of purpose and hope. He'd closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around her in return. The hug had surprised him but what was even more surprising was the relief in her voice and the comfort he found in her embrace. She didn't hate him. She was glad to see him. He hadn't ruined everything they'd built between them.

She'd only spoken three words, but those three words were powerful when combined with the desperate grip she had on him as soon as he'd descended the steps. It was more than he deserved. He'd left them high and dry. They could've turned their backs on him, but they didn't.

Now it was time to step up and be the friend they both deserved. The friend he should have been all along.


	17. things you said at 1 am

 

* * *

 

One in the morning wasn't that late.

_You know, unless you'd already been up for like sixteen hours and then it was pretty late,_ Lucy thought as she collected her things out of her locker. The kicker was, she was exhausted but still too full of adrenaline from their most recent jump. Sleeping would not be happening for another couple of hours at least. _So, now what?_ She asked herself.

The bar was still open that the team usually frequented but...well she was already punch drunk. Getting actually drunk didn't seem like a solid choice.

She pulled her cross body bag over her head and then walked out of the locker room. Feeling restless when in actuality what you needed was _rest_ sucked.

"A ruffled mind makes a restless pillow," she quoted to herself as she walked toward the exit. There really was a Bronte Sisters quote for every occasion.

"Something got you ruffled, Professor?"

She jumped and then turned to face a smirking Wyatt Logan.

"Would you stop doing that?" Lucy asked as she smacked his arm. "Clear your throat or announce yourself or something."

"Announce myself?" he asked with a laugh. He put on a stoic face and stood at attention. "Master Sargent Wyatt Logan entering the hallway, ma'am." He broke after a moment and grinned at her. "With your permission."

She rolled her eyes and shook her head at him with an amused grin. "Permission granted, Master Sargent."

"So," he said as he fell into step beside of her. "What has you ruffled?"

"Being exhausted but unable to sleep," she answered with a sigh.

He nodded in understanding. "Adrenaline will do that to you."

"I hate when we get back from these jumps so late," she told him. "Why can't we get back in the middle of the day just one time? Now I get to go back to my apartment and find some sort of chore to keep me busy. Last night, I cleaned behind my refrigerator. I'm pretty sure when you stoop to that there are no chores left."

He chuckled at her before he gave her a hesitant look. "Well, I don't have anything to clean but, um, I got a six pack of beers. You could hang out at my place. I won't be sleeping for a few hours either. Too on edge after a mission for that."

Was he nervous? He gave her a sheepish grin when she didn't answer right away and ducked his head. _He was_. He was nervous.

She smiled warmly at him and nodded. "I'd like that."

"Yeah?" He asked in surprise.

"Definitely," she replied.

"Okay," he said as he looked thoughtfully at his shoes before meeting her eyes with an easy smile. "You can ride with me. I can bring you back for your car later."

His hand landed on the small of her back as he led her to his car. She found it amusing how casual touches came so naturally to him but asking her to come over made him nervous. Thank goodness for late night Lifeboat landings and Charlotte Bronte quotes because if they hadn't been up for sixteen hours he might never have asked.


	18. things you said when we were on top of the world

 

* * *

So much evidence. Ethan had given them so much. The room was full from floor to ceiling and it was almost unbelievable. At the sight of it Lucy launched herself at Wyatt in a tight hug.

"Oh God, he did it," she said with a happy laugh.

He returned her hug just as tightly and took a deep breath. Breathing in the moment. The past several months had been batshit crazy and to have this moment with her felt rare. It felt peaceful.

Joyful.

"You did it," Wyatt told her. "It was your plan."

"No, Ethan did it. Coming up with the plan is the easy part. He had to execute it," she said as she shook her head against the crook of his neck.

Wyatt chuckled at her. "I'm trying to pay you a compliment, ma'am. Just say thank you."

She pulled out of the hug and he could see her blushing. She laughed softly and nodded. "Sorry, right, thank you."

"You know you did that the first night we met too," Wyatt told her with a smirk. "Christopher tried to compliment you and you turned around and gave credit to your mother. I think we're going to have to work on how you accept compliments."

"How do you propose we do that?" Lucy asked as she lifted a brow at him.

"Practice makes perfect. Guess I'll have to start paying you more of them," he told her with a grin.

Her blush deepened and she shook her head. "Let's not. My face would permanently be red."

Wyatt shrugged and smiled easily at her. "It's not exactly a bad look for you, Professor."

She smiled and ducked her head bashfully. "Thanks."

"There, see?" Wyatt asked. "Progress. You're getting better at it already."


	19. things you said under the stars and in the grass

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay I'm using this one as an excuse to write an AU I've had in my head for a while.
> 
> What if, instead of keeping Lucy from taking a risk, the car accident inspired her to live life on her terms? What if she came away with the fear of not living life to it's fullest instead of fearing that lack of control/safety would ruin her? I think that Lucy would have dropped out and went on the road with her band and picked up a fancy free lifestyle.
> 
> And let's say, for whatever reason, in this AU Jessica never died and she and Wyatt ended up divorced. (It's been my head canon that had she lived this would have happened eventually. For the fight they had to escalate to the point of her getting out of the car there had to be some on going issues.)
> 
> So given those two things, how would these two alternate versions of Wyatt and Lucy meet? Well, I have a few ideas. ;)

Wyatt was not a fan of weddings and not just because they reminded him of his own failed marriage. Sure, that was a factor, but there was much more to it. When you're single at a wedding someone in the bridal party always anticipates introducing you to other single people. Like the happiness of the newlyweds was a guarantee that other people could find love too. And maybe they were right, but Wyatt wasn't looking for anyone. He'd had his shot at wedded bliss as far as he was concerned and he blew it. He doubted what he had with Jess could happen twice in his lifetime. Jessica was much too good for him anyway. Everyone told him so, his whole life.

And he'd proved them right.

He'd sat in the back during the ceremony and then raced out of there as soon as it was over. He was one of the first guests to arrive at the reception. He knew he couldn't leave the reception until he'd at least talked to the bride and groom. One of his Delta Force buddies, Bam-Bam, had married a musician. A drummer, Wyatt was pretty sure. He'd only met Celia a handful of times, but she seemed nice enough and Dave was certainly crazy about her.

He remembered Dave telling him that Celia's band was playing the music for the wedding. It was what they did, after all. They were a professional cover band for weddings, parties, and corporate events.

When he entered the tents that housed the reception he heard the band doing their sound check. Which meant he was extremely early. He found his seat which was apparently at the same table as Celia's band, judging by the handbags and coats spread across the chairs. A bright laugh sounded from the stage and he felt a jolt deep in his chest. His eyes sought out the source of the laugh that caused the strange thrill he felt somewhere inside of him and he found it.

The brunette standing in front of the microphone in a fitted lemon yellow dress laughed again at something the lead guitarist said and he felt the same jolt again. He loved that laugh. He'd never heard it before but he wanted to hear it again. Her eyes sparkled and her smile was wide. His eyes raked over her and he prayed she didn't notice him staring. He grinned when his eyes landed on her bare feet. The shoes were discarded next to the microphone stand.

She was beautiful and he was instantly drawn to her. He gulped and inwardly cursed. He stood from the table and headed for fresh air. This wasn't going to happen. He did not want to meet anyone. It was better to be alone. Jess couldn't take his career and Jess was the sweetest and most patient woman he'd ever met. If she couldn't handle it then who could? No one.

He took a deep breath when he reached the open night sky and sat down in the grass. Open space was just what he needed. He sat in quiet peace for an indeterminable amount of minutes. A few other guests had started to trickle in and he could see even more cars trying to park in the distance. So he guessed he'd been sitting in the grass for fifteen to twenty minutes.

"Well, you look comfortable," a female voice said from behind him. "Mind if I join you?"

He knew exactly who he would see when he turned around. The voice matched the laugh. "Help yourself," he said with a small grin as he turned to face the brunette from Celia's band. "You might want to be careful with your dress, though, can't have the wedding singer ruining her outfit."

She laughed and he let out a soft hiss at the now familiar jolt in his chest.

He saw her carefully lay a shawl on the ground beside of him before she sat with her legs extended out in front of her. She leaned on her left hand and held her right out toward him.

"I'm Lucy," she said as he accepted her hand. "You are?"

"Wyatt," he said as they shook hands.

"Ah," she said with a smile. "Dave's friend. He's mentioned you once or twice."

"And you're in Celia's band," he told her. It was all he knew about her. Dave had never mentioned her.

"And former room mate," Lucy said with a chuckle. "She kicked me out to make room for Dave. Now I live with this girl who, while perfectly nice, has Star Trek posters covering every wall in her living room. But an affordable room is an affordable room."

"Star Trek's not so bad," Wyatt offered. "Used to love the original as a kid."

"Never really been a scifi fan myself," she told him. "I'm more of a history nerd. I could binge History Channel all day long, though I'd probably spend half of it yelling at them for being wrong."

He chuckled at her and turned to really look at her for the first time. God, she was even prettier up close. Her hair framed her face in long soft waves and her eyes were a very warm and inviting shade of brown. He had to remind himself to breathe before he could manage to speak. "You were one of those nerdy over achievers in school, weren't you?"

"My mother is a history professor. It would have been considered a personal slight against her if I wasn't the absolute perfect student," Lucy said with a chuckle. But there was a dark edge to it that told him there was more to that story. She gave him a long once over and, maybe he'd imagined it, but she seemed to linger on his eyes longer than necessary. "Let me guess, you were one of those athletic under achievers who snuck beer into the football field after practice?"

His brow furrowed and he smirked at her. "That was oddly specific."

"But accurate, right?" She asked with her own smirk.

"Unfortunately," he admitted with a self deprecating grin.

"I'm sure you enjoyed high school more than I did," Lucy told him with a kind smile. "I don't think I broke a single rule during all four years of high school."

"I'm pretty sure I broke every rule at least once," he told her with a chuckle.

"So, what you're saying is that we would not have been friends?" She asked with a teasing smile.

"Highly doubtful, ma'am."

"Ma'am?" She asked with a slightly offended expression. "Do I look like a ma'am to you? Cause I'm pretty sure we're basically the same age."

He gave her a crooked smirk and took in the attitude in her expression. He already liked this woman. Probably too much. "Delta Force. You see, when you're in the special forces, they teach you to be polite."

She lifted a brow and smiled slowly. "And does that line normally work for you, soldier?"

He shrugged as he chuckled. "Sometimes." More like always.

"Probably more than sometimes given those baby blues of yours," Lucy said as she threw a flirtatious grin at him.

"You been looking at my baby blues, have you?" He asked her with a teasing smirk.

She blushed and ducked her head. "Sort of hard to ignore them."

He scratched the back of his neck nervously before tossing her a bashful smile. "Kinda like your laugh, I guess."

Their eyes met and her blush deepened. Their gazes and smiles lingered on each other for a long moment. Neither of them were really sure where to go from here.

"No! You've already met!" A voice yelled in a dismayed tone.

They both jumped slightly and looked up to find Celia and Dave striding toward them. Celia was the one who'd yelled. Dave laughed as they came to a stop in front of them.

"She wanted to be the one to introduce you," Dave explained. "She was convinced sparks would fly."

Lucy bit her bottom lip nervously and gave Wyatt a secretive glance. Even having just met her he knew what she was trying to say. Celia definitely wasn't _wrong_. They'd felt quite a few sparks. Despite himself, he wanted to feel more of them. He knew he didn't deserve to but damn it if Lucy wasn't already addictive.


	20. things you didn't say at all

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *spoilers for 2x01*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spoilers for 2x01!

"This is for the Mothership."

Five words. Just five words, but to Wyatt they spoke volumes. She was going to blow up the Mothership. The only way to do that was to board it first. What were the chances she'd clear the ship in time to survive? Slim to none. They'd reached her in time but it had been close. A handful of hours later and they might have been too late. They might have fixed the Lifeboat to find that Lucy sacrificed herself to put down the last of Rittenhouse. He was a breath away from catching up to her only to find her really and truly gone. He barely processed anything Lucy said to him after that. The pure anxiety that gripped him at the idea of world without Lucy was intense. He'd only let himself think about that once or twice while she was missing so why, now that he'd found her, was it all he was worried about? She was there, warm and alive and breathing.

But he knew that look on her face. He'd seen it on his own more than once while in the midst of combat. Even seeing them hadn't eased her frantic eyes and erratic breathing. She was ready and willing to give up everything she had left to put a stop to all of this.

"I thought you were dead," she told them as her eyes moved from Rufus to Wyatt. The implication hung in the air around them. If Wyatt and Rufus were gone then she had nothing left to really fight for, no reason to not go down with the ship. Literally.

"How were you going to get home?" He asked. He knew the answer. He knew before he asked.

"I wasn't."

Lucy didn't deserve this. She didn't deserve to feel the hopelessness and resignation that sort of sacrifice required. She must have felt as desperate as he had this last six weeks except where he'd forced himself to carry on believing she'd let go. He was once again grateful they found her before she could do anything drastic. He'd been there and done that. Drastic measures rarely helped.

And then she was hurrying toward the tent entrance. Her eyes were still wild with fear and everything in him was screaming not to let her go. He needed to make her promise to be careful. To keep herself alive. He watched her go, with his eyes glued to her as she met up with her mother and walked away, and promised himself to keep Lucy out of the Mothership. There was no telling what she'd do if Emma and Rittenhouse managed to force Lucy back into it. No matter what Lucy was leaving with them. Rittenhouse be damned.

They'd managed to find her in all of time and space. She was alive and that bolstered his confidence. He knew where she was and he knew her state of mind. That was intel he didn't have before and he was certain it was intel that would help him keep her safe.


	21. things you said with too many miles between us

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> spoilers for 2x01 cause it killed me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so we're doing this one a little differently. Because typically I try to have the two characters actually talking to each other, but I wanted to write this about 2x01 and in the context of 2x01 that's kinda impossible. I figured, imaginary conversations would still count. Yeah?  
> Also, spoilers for 2x01 cause it killed me.

Six weeks. Six god damn weeks. Christopher never had any news and everyone else was doubting whether or not Lucy was alive. He couldn't do that. He couldn't even consider that she might not come back--come _home_. If he ever stopped to think that she might really be gone, well, he didn't think he'd ever survive that. His worst fear was that at the end of all this, they'd find her too late. It would be Jessica all over again, except this time he'd have completely different regrets.

_"You shouldn't have any regrets at all, soldier."_

His head shot up off of his pillow and he frantically glanced around his room. That sounded like-- "Lucy?"

"Sort of," her voice said with an amused chuckle. "Over here, Wyatt."

As he turned his head, Lucy appeared on the empty bunk across from his. She hadn't been there before. "I've lost my mind, haven't I?"

"No," Lucy said as she grinned at him. "You're dreaming. Not hallucinating."

Even dream Lucy was a comfort. He knew she wasn't real. He knew his Lucy was still lost, but for the moment he let himself believe she was there with him.

"Is there a reason I'm in my dress from 1934 Arkansas, Master Sergeant?" Dream Lucy asked him with a knowing smirk.

He realized she was in fact wearing the satin pink dress that had burned itself into his memory. He blushed slightly and shrugged. "It was a good look for you."

"Right," she said with a playful smile. "So, what regrets are you worried about?"

He chuckled bitterly and shook his head. "I'm regretting being so chicken shit. I let you go with a vague conversation that forced you to read between the lines and I assumed, like an idiot, that we'd have time. I should have been clear, I should have _done_ something. I shouldn't have let you leave alone."

He didn't remember seeing Lucy move but suddenly she was beside him on his bed. "Do you ever cut yourself any slack? You didn't know what was going to happen when I walked out that door. None of us did." He noticed her outfit had changed. This time she was in the sweater and blazer he'd last seen her in. The night everything had gone to hell. "And as for our conversation, Wyatt just days before you were trying to save Jessica with everything you had in you. No one could expect you to be ready to jump immediately into another whatever-the-hell-this-is after that. No one. Not even me. You have nothing to regret. Nothing to apologize for. Are we clear?"

He scoffed. "Lucy--"

"Are. We. Clear?" Her tone was firm and insistent.

He chuckled and rolled his eyes at her. "Bossy know it all."

"Reckless hothead."

God, he'd missed this. He missed her. Not knowing how she was or where was killing him. What if she really was gone? What if this dream version of her was all he'd ever have?

"Stop," Lucy said sternly. "Wyatt, don't go down that path. You'll find me. I know you will."

"How do you know that?" He asked as his watery blue eyes met her steady brown ones.

"Because I know you." She brought her hand up to his cheek and gently caressed his face. He was reminded of 1934 and the way her touch had felt against his cheek after he'd kissed her. This felt so familiar and it left him with a longing so strong that it physically hurt. He turned his head and kissed her palm. She smiled warmly at him. "I know you won't stop. I know you'll see me again. You won't have it any other way."

"I'm not gonna stop. Not until you're in this hellhole of a bunker with me." He was assuring himself now more than he was assuring Dream Lucy.

She looked around the dingy room curiously and then grinned at him. "Misery really does love company, huh?"

"Something like that," he said with a smirk. He could feel sleep and the dream slipping away. He was dreading going back to reality. Lucy was who knows how many miles away from him in reality. In his dream, she was right there next to him.

"You have to go, Wyatt," Lucy said as gave him a sympathetic smile. "Wouldn't you rather have your Lucy back then to stay here with me, the imaginary one? You can only get her back if you're awake. The sooner you wake up and get to work the sooner you can stop missing me."

She was right. Lucy was always right. He swallowed thickly and nodded. He pasted a smirk on his face and winked at her. "See you later, Babydoll."

She laughed softly and then flashed a brilliant smile at him. He couldn't wait to see that smile on _his_ Lucy's face. But he had to find her first. "See you around, sweetheart."

The dream faded and he blearily blinked against the white light of morning that drifted through the bunker's frosted windows. The emptiness of the room slapped him in the face. There was no Lucy here. No teasing or smiles or affectionate touches. Just empty, cold, dreary space.

Six weeks was enough, Wyatt thought with a growl as he gathered his shower kit. If Agent Christopher couldn't find her then _he_ would. There had to be some clue they'd missed. They didn't know Lucy like he did. He was done with this pit he'd been trapped in since the explosion. He was going topside. Christopher's rules be damned. Lucy needed him. He needed her. He couldn't sit around and wait any longer.


	22. things you said that I wasn't meant to hear

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is set during 2x02 because Wyatt Logan. So...  
> spoilers.

They'd followed him in a moment later, but he must not have known. It was much too late to leave now, they'd heard everything and it was becoming painfully clear that he and Wendell had no idea they were there. Lucy and Rufus exchanged looks as they debated whether to stand by silently or speak up. They wordlessly agreed to stay silent for fear of making things awkward.

"I used to pray my dad would run off. When I turned fifteen and realized he wouldn't, _I did_. I took his car."

"You stole his car?"

"Yeah, figured he owed me at least that much. Ran it till the pistons blew and then I drove the damn thing straight into a lake."

Wendell saw them first as he laughed and the spell of their bonding was broken. The look on Wyatt's face when he turned and saw them standing there caused a physical pang in her chest. He hadn't wanted them to know about his father. She'd known only that his Grandfather had been the real positive male influence in his life but she'd never imagined the horror story he told Wendell. She could see in his eyes that he was afraid his past would change things. Change the way she and Rufus looked at him.

He wasn't wrong, but it probably didn't change things the way he thought.

No, all it did was make Lucy wonder how Wyatt Logan came to be who he was today. With a father like that and troubled teenage years the odds that he ended up Master Sergeant Wyatt Logan (and the man that ended up being her safe place more often than not) was all the more astounding. Impressive. Impossible.

 _Brave._ Though, that she'd already known.

However, she had a new perspective on it now. His father had been worse, arguably, than her mother and yet Wyatt had managed to defy his father and the cycle of violence that normally came from a turbulent childhood. Wyatt stood apart from his lineage. He'd driven his abusive father's treasured car right into a lake. Damn the consequences. She admired that more than he knew. She wanted to know how he managed it. How he stated matter of fact that his father was awful and then laughed it off the next moment had an air of acceptance to it that she doubted she'd ever find. She wanted to pick his brain for advice on how to do that for herself.

Whether she'd admit it or not, Flynn's words from earlier in the day had hit all of her weak spots. He aimed for that, she knew, and it was why Wyatt had been hesitant for her to agree to speak with their old enemy. But what if Flynn was right? How could she have missed her mother being Rittenhouse? Why hadn't she seen the signs? Because she wanted her mother back. Her mother had been on her death bed and then suddenly she wasn't. Despite the lack of Amy, or maybe because of it, Lucy wanted her mother and confidant back. She ignored every thing else in favor of that.

If she'd ignored the signs, then wasn't everything those signs indicated, everything that followed, _her fault_?

In the next moment, Wyatt was putting his jacket down in the smuggler's hold of Wendell's trunk, and motioning for her to climb in first. Great, putting the claustrophobic in the trunk was a stellar idea. Even better they'd put her in close proximity to Wyatt. If the last time she'd been this close to him was any indication, she was in big trouble.

And she was. She definitely was, especially after he'd utter the words "hang on to me" and no part of her questioned it. But it did give her the perfect opportunity to ask him about how he'd managed to move past his father. If he could do it then maybe she could do the same. Maybe she could let her mother go, along with the guilt and the heartbreak. Maybe she could breakaway from her bloodline and the cycle of violence the way Wyatt had.

"You're lucky you never admired him."

"Of course I admired him. He was my dad. For years I thought that every terrible thing he did was my fault."

God, did that ever hit home. She felt every word in the fiber of her being. "I revered my mother. I thought she was Superwoman. Come to find out, she's just terrible."

She'd said it aloud. She hadn't planned to, but she couldn't stop herself. It was Wyatt. He broke through every barrier she had and made being vulnerable easy. But of all the responses he could have had she didn't expect what he said next.

"Maybe it's a good thing," he told her. She looked over at him, still internally marveling at how close they actually were, and waited for him to explain what he meant.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"Well, now you know. You know for sure, you can move on. Nothing ahead but the open road."

The idea of moving on from her mother and having space to breathe apart from her crushing guilt and worry was so beautiful and gave her so much hope that when Wyatt smirked and chuckled at his analogy, she couldn't help but join him. This was what Wyatt Logan did for her and to her. Supported her, counseled her, grounded her. He never judged. The look on his face when he knew they'd heard him talk about his father reappeared in her head and she needed him to know that she wanted to do the same for him too.

Her brain willed her mouth to speak but before she could the car stopped and they heard the discussion Wendell and Rufus were having with someone about searching the trunk. The words fell away and were replaced with nerves. Wyatt shifted closer, protectively leaning over her, and started preparing to shield her from danger. She thought they were close before but this is a new level of close. His cheek is on hers as he turns his head just slightly, but it's enough that his lips brush her cheek. If she weren't holding her breath and terrified of being discovered she might consider turning her head so his lips brushed her own instead of her cheek.

The danger passed and Wyatt moved away just by a centimeter. Then the car took off with a violent jerk that forced Wyatt even closer. Practically on top of her and she laughed at the absurdity of it all. They were in a smuggler's hold, squished together, and being awkwardly bumped and bounced. Yet through all of it, their tension was still there and the urge to kiss him never went away. A Smuggler's hold was never where she imagined their first kiss after the one in Arkansas. Actually she'd never imagined ever being in a smuggler's hold period.

The laughter subsided as he apologized and she realized he was still on top of her. Their positions, his words of encouragement, the trust he proved he had in her by being vulnerable all hit her at once. His face was hovering over hers and a swell of-- _of something--_ hit her so deep in her core that her fingers were softly tracing a path across his cheek before she could stop herself. She leaned up toward his lips and, as he leaned down toward hers, she thought that maybe an open road with Wyatt was worth finally exploring. Maybe the open road that led _away from_ her mother and Rittenhouse also led _to him._


End file.
